Even part-time work has a negative impact on breastfeeding

Published: Tuesday, April 29, 2008, 13:24 [IST]

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Washington, April 29 : New mums who return to work part-time or as a casual are at as much risk of having a negative impact on their breastfeeding rates as those who resume full-time work, says a new study.

Researchers at the University of Melbourne found that part-time and casual work among new mothers has approximately as big a negative impact on breastfeeding rates as returning to work full-time.

While prior studies have shown that women who return to full-time work are far less likely to be breastfeeding at six months, the new Australian study is the first to show considerably reduced breastfeeding rates in those who return on a part-time or casual basis.

The study, conducted on almost 3700 Australian mothers and babies, says that a lack of paid maternity leave and low workplace support for breastfeeding are interfering with the establishment of breastfeeding among women.

Lead researcher Amanda Cooklin, from the University of Melbourne's Key Centre for Women's Health, and colleagues Susan Donath (Murdoch Children's Research Institute and University of Melbourne) and Lisa Amir (La Trobe University) analysed the breastfeeding rates among almost 3700 mothers and babies at six months after the birth.

The results showed that mothers who returned to work full-time within three months of birth were twice as likely to have stopped breastfeeding by the time their baby was six months, than those who were not employed.

Also, mothers who returned to work full time between three and six months of birth were three times as likely to have stopped breastfeeding by the time their baby was six months than non-employed women.

Moreover, women who returned to work on either a part-time or casual basis after three months were almost as likely to have stopped breastfeeding as those who worked full-time.

Cooklin said study results showed that early postnatal employment was a significant risk factor for an early end to breastfeeding in Australian infants.

She said the findings in relation to part-time and casual work were surprising.

Previous studies in the US had found mothers who worked part-time had similar breastfeeding patterns to those who were not employed.

"In Australia however, a reduced working week does not contribute to mothers' ability to maintain breastfeeding for six months," she said.

"Part-time employment is almost as much of a risk factor as full-time employment for an early end to breastfeeding," she added.

She further said that lack of paid maternity leave was also affecting breastfeeding rates.

"Many women return to work sooner than they would like for financial reasons and this interferes with the establishment of breastfeeding,'' she said.